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The Politics and Commodification of Cuban Music During the Special NEGOTIATION WITH THE REVOLUTION: THE POLITICS AND COMMODIFICATION OF CUBAN MUSIC DURING THE SPECIAL PERIOD by Eric Jason Oberstein Department of Cultural Anthropology Advisors: Caroline Yezer Paul Berliner Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation with distinction for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in the Department of Cultural Anthropology in the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences of Duke University 2007 Acknowledgements I would like to thank Caroline Yezer and Paul Berliner, my committee members, for their constant support and guidance throughout the writing process. They helped me define my topic, read through my drafts, and gave me direction with my ideas. I would like to thank the Department of Cultural Anthropology at Duke University, especially Orin Starn, who encouraged me to write a senior thesis, and Heather Settle, who was one of my first anthropology instructors and who taught me about the depth of Cuba. In addition, I would like to thank Bradley Simmons, my Afro-Cuban percussion mentor, who taught me how to play and appreciate Cuban music. I would also like to thank my family for fostering my passion for Cuban music and culture. A special thanks goes to Osvaldo Medina, my personal Cuban music encyclopedia, who always managed to find me in the corner at family parties and shared stories of Cuban musicians young and old. Finally, I dedicate this thesis to the musicians of Cuba, both on and off the island. Your work forever inspires and moves me. ii Contents Introduction..............................................................................................................................1 Research Question .............................................................................................................1 Significance of Research.................................................................................................. 14 Methods............................................................................................................................ 18 1. Buena Vista Social Club and the Transnational Cuban Music Market .......................... 21 1.1 Rise of the Buena Vista Social Club .......................................................................... 23 1.2 The personal experience of Cuban music ................................................................ 24 1.3 Cuba: An imagined community ............................................................................... 27 1.4 Representation and reality ........................................................................................ 29 1.5 Authenticity and imagery ......................................................................................... 31 1.6 Inciting critique..........................................................................................................36 1.7 Buena Vista and the globalization of Cuban music................................................. 42 2. Critique in Contemporary Cuban Music.......................................................................... 44 2.1 Drugs and violence.................................................................................................... 47 2.1.1 Cuba’s war against drugs..................................................................................... 47 2.1.2 Cuban music and drugs........................................................................................ 48 2.1.3 Violence..................................................................................................................49 2.1.4 The exile community............................................................................................. 50 2.1.5 Rap and violence................................................................................................... 51 2.2 Authenticity and representation............................................................................... 52 iii 2.2.1 Hip-Hop and authenticity.................................................................................... 52 2.2.2 Timba: Voice from the barrio ................................................................................ 54 2.2.3 Visual representations of Cuban music............................................................... 55 2.3 Immigration and exile ............................................................................................... 56 2.3.1 Collective sadness and nueva trova ...................................................................... 57 2.3.2 Rap on and off the island...................................................................................... 58 2.3.3 Timba in exile ........................................................................................................ 59 2.4 Revolution and reform .............................................................................................. 61 2.4.1 Enacting reform through critique ........................................................................ 62 2.4.2 Nationalism and the conceptualization of the Revolution ................................ 63 2.5 Globalization ..............................................................................................................65 2.5.1 Prostitution and poverty ...................................................................................... 66 2.5.3 Neoliberalism and rap .......................................................................................... 72 2.5.4 American rock in Havana..................................................................................... 73 3. Censorship and Contradiction.......................................................................................... 75 3.1 Cuban censorship past and present.......................................................................... 78 3.2 Tensions in contemporary Cuban music.................................................................. 88 3.3 Conclusions on the present and future of Cuban music......................................... 92 WORKS CITED ...................................................................................................................... 99 iv Introduction Research Question Cuba’s music has always been a dynamic entity, a figurative barometer of the constantly evolving culture and politics of the island. Music serves as a voice of the Cuban people, tied into the daily Cuban experience. Contemporary styles of Cuban music are especially valuable because they are one of the few ways to publicly critique everyday life in Cuba or the state in a country where freedom of speech is extremely limited (Perna 2005, 5). Due to the fact that the lyrics are often subtle and figurative in their critique, they may pass on messages in a manner that does not receive the same scrutiny as overt protest offered in a non-musical context. Cuban music creates an artistic space allowing for self-expression, a space in which social problems are illuminated. One such example is the song “Un socio para mi negocio” (A Buddy For My Business Deal) by Los Van Van, “which alludes to private enterprise and black market dealings” (Moore 2006, 129). Such music is especially significant during periods of transition, as it reflects the complex human reactions that arise during periods of instability. Throughout the era following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, known as the “Special Period,” Cubans lived without the aid of the Soviet Union, its chief 1 economic ally and supporter since the triumph of Castro and the Revolution in 1959.1 Just as Cubans wondered what would become of their Revolution following the fall of the U.S.S.R., Cubans today are faced with their leader’s mortality. Especially during the course of the Special Period, Castro adopted an autocratic style of leadership and centralized power to such an extent that his death could seriously weaken the state (Moore 2006, 242). His recent health problems, including a severe intestinal illness, have raised concerns about Cuba’s future. In July 2006 an ailing Castro temporarily ceded power to his younger brother, Defense Minister Raúl Castro, after undergoing emergency surgery. The transfer of power was symbolically significant, as it reflected the mortality of the dictator and brought the future of the island to the forefront of Cuban and international attention. The current change of leadership and the aforementioned Soviet collapse parallel one another, both providing for a sudden possibility for profound economic and social change on the island. Similar to the Soviet collapse, which sparked political musical expression, there is now also great potential for a broad artistic treatment of the many facets of Cuban life as the population experiences transition. One journalist summarized the anxiety faced by Cubans during this volatile period by saying, “Now Cuba-watchers 1 The Special Period, known as “El Período Especial” in Cuba, signaled the loss of Cuba’s primary economic ally. The Cuban government lost approximately $6 billion in subsidies from Eastern Bloc countries and an extra $1.2 billion in Russian military aid (Frey 1997, 3). This loss of aid resulted in dramatic shortages of food and supplies, making the effect of the United States’ embargo on Cuba (refer to pp. 8-9) all the more severe in Cuba. Cubans were forced to find new, “special” ways to cope with these new conditions, and music became a primary outlet. 2 worldwide are frantically trying to figure out what comes next for the nation of 11 million people” (Robles 2006,
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